end at dawn. Each of the ceremonies differ, with the winter ceremony being the highest ceremony of the lodge. All of the lodge ceremonies begin with a purification done through a Madoodiswan (sweat lodge). After the sweat the ceremony begins at dusk and goes until dawn. Minookamin The Spring Equinox was the beginning of the new year to the Waabanowin, which unlike the dominate Midewiwin whose new year began in Winter. Minookamin (Late Spring) was a time to celebrate and fell just after the Maple camps. During the Spring Ceremony the focus is on the Waabanong Manidoo (Spirit of the East), the Grandfather. Niibin The Summer Solstice is a time of gathering of many villages or bands. The ceremony goes for 4 days and is more of a time of teaching and fellowship. It is normally the largest of the Waabanowin ceremonies in the number of people. The ceremony starts at dusk with the lighting of the Mishi-ishkode or sacred fire. Dagwaagin Like the Spring the dagwaagin (Autumn) ceremony fell just before the Wild rice camps. Biboon Traditionally the Anishinaabe peoples only told certain traditions during biboon (winter). This was because the underwater Manidoo hibernated at that time. Because of this the Waabanowin would recount the Nanabozho and creation stories as a part of the winter ceremonies. The Ceremony was a teaching time and a prayer for healing of individuals and aki (Earth). It was at this time that the fire dance was done as a part of the ceremony. Ziigwan Winter Solstice is the most important of all of the Waabanowin ceremonies. It is the time of healing for Aki (Earth) and for personal healing. The traditional ceremony calls for Madoodiswan to be performed at dusk for two days, then again on the solstice with the sweat ending at dusk. The ceremonies including the fire dance go on throughout the longest night of the year. At dawn the ceremony is finished and the men come out a Madoodiswan again. They then sweat twice more for the following two days. Personal Healing The Waabanowin are known as spiritual healers. There is a ceremony they perform to bring the person's spirit and body back into alignment thus healing them. In Waabanowin teachings sickness that cannot be cured by the herbs and medicines of the herbal healers are caused those things in a persons life that are out of balance with creation.